M.P.’s Blog
Setting up a website with a new web host, using unfamiliar software is an adventure. I cannot tell you how many curse words I said, or how many times I nearly gave up. But, I did not give up, and now I can say that I’m proud of how this turned out. It may not be perfect, but neither am I.
Life is messy, imperfect, and so amazing. With everything that happened to us last year, I’m trying to embrace the chaos this year and hold onto the things I can be thankful for. Like family, true friends, and learning opportunities.
Thanks for stopping by to check things out. I gotta head back to the writing cave now. I have books to write, editing to finish, and probably a ton of laundry to fold. Catch ya next time!
Happy Reading!
~MP
February 18, 2024
February 25, 2024
What makes a good book?
Characters, setting, plot, writing style. It all works together to get my vision across. Sometimes I feel like I’ve done an amazing job, and others, I’m just not sure.
Insecurity sucks, and unfortunately, everyone deals with it in some way or another. All I can do is remind myself that my audience likes me, and keep moving forward.
I’m heading back to the writing cave, but I’ll talk to you all soon.
As always, happy reading!
~MP
I finished writing Wolf Moon (Book 3 in the Hunters of the Forest series) about a week ago. I decided that I’d take two weeks off to work on admin stuff and editing before jumping back into writing.
I also decided to move up the releases for Wolf Caged (Book 2) and Wolf Moon (Book 3). All 3 books will be available by the end of May!
I did some procrasti-resting this week. I managed to finish edits on my July release (the Blemished Beauty Anthology story) and I’ll start my other editing project today.
I want to write, but just can’t quite get into the Christmas spirit yet. Since that’s my last release of 2024, and it’s only March, I have a little time yet.
So, I was a bad girl and bought 5 new book covers. Four of them will work well for standalone novellas that I can toss out between series releases. The fifth one…well, I had intended it to be a standalone, then realized that it fits with 3 other stories I had loosely jotted down notes for. So get ready for a brand new Omegaverse series, coming your way in 2025!
I have some world building to do in order to get it ready, and some characters to cast. All of that will wait until later, though, because we have a birthday party to attend.
Until next time,
Happy Reading!
~MP
March 16, 2024
March 21, 2024
Well, in addition to the 5 new covers that need stories, I also signed myself up for a shared world and committed to releasing a book in July. Have I lost my mind? Perhaps.
I know I can handle it, though. I have the characters selected, the outline completed, and I’ve even started writing the first draft.
Taking It Off should be one of my shorter books, so writing will (hopefully) go pretty quick once I get into it. Check out the cover and blurb in the Paranormal Standalones section. You can also check out the other books in the shared world, and even pre-order any or all of them.
I’m diving into writing the new book tomorrow, but I’ll drop in with updates as I go.
Talk soon,
Happy Reading!
~MP
This week, I published my 14th novel. The moment I put a book out there into the wild, I get anxious.
What if no one likes it? What if no one reads it?
And after careful consideration of both those questions, I’ve come to a conclusion. If either of those were to happen, I would just keep writing.
Not every story is for every reader. All I can do is hope that my stories find the readers they are meant for. I know that I don’t like every book I pick up. So how could I expect other people to do something I don’t?
I’m gonna keep writing, and stop letting myself worry about it. Someday I’ll find the reader base who loves what I write.
Until then,
Happy Reading!
~MP
March 26, 2024
May 10, 2024
I spent the past week on a cruise ship sailing away to the Bahamas. This trip had a ton of ‘firsts’ for me.
While it was the second time I’ve flown, this was the first time I wasn’t completely freaking out about it. That was, in part, because of my handsome traveling companion (my amazing husband of 11 years, who pushes me to do more than I’m comfortable with).
It was the first time I’ve spent any real amount of time on a boat. I’ve suffered my entire life with motion sickness, and expected this to be the worst experience of my life so far. But we ordered some medicine online and it worked way better than I thought it would.
This was also my first time traveling outside of the US. We visited the Bahamas, spending most of a day in Nassau, and part of a day at Half Moon Cay. It was so beautiful. I loved swimming in the ocean, and went further out than I ever have before. (Did I mention that my husband just taught me how to swim a few years ago?)
Long story short, it was a great experience, and a wonderful anniversary (this trip was supposed to happen last year for our 10th anniversary, but testicular cancer had other plans, so we postponed until this year).
Even with nearly missing our connecting flight back home (through no fault of our own), I had a great time with the man I love, and hope that we can travel more in the future.
Happy Reading!
~MP
It’s been a little while since I’ve updated here, and I apologize for that. I’ve been dealing with some behind-the-scenes stuff and kinda forgot about the website for a little bit.
I promise I’m going to try to do better. As a start, here’s the unveiling of my new logo and tagline. If you’re in my Facebook group, then you know I also have a new PA. I’m looking forward to getting everything back on track.
Life is about change. No matter if we want it to or not, nothing stays the same forever. All we can do is try to learn and grow from it. And for me, that’s what the new logo symbolizes. Growth and change.
I’ve finished writing Christmas or Knot, and it will go to the editor soon. I’m starting a new project tomorrow, and will update on that as soon as I’m able to (It’s a secret project!)
And I’ll be working on nailing down the projected release schedule for 2025 this month, too, so I can get started on those books.
I hope you’ll stick around to see how I do with this growth and change thing. Maybe we can learn together?
As always, happy reading!
~MP
August 1, 2024
August 17, 2024
Hey, Fans! This month has been a little crazy, and I took a much needed break from writing…even if it was unintentional.
My amazing hubs took me to see my favorite band, Blink182, and the show was awesome!
The week after, I got sick. Bronchitis is no joke, friends, especially when you have untreated asthma. Don’t worry, I’m on the mend. I got some meds and took it easy for a couple of weeks.
I’m trying to get back into writing, but it’s hard. The ideas are there, but the characters just don’t want to cooperate. I’ll keep pushing, because I like being ahead. My next project isn’t due until December 1, so I have time.
Thanks for stopping by!
As always, Happy Reading!
~MP
Let me start by saying…
Writer’s Block SUCKS.
And it’s really frustrating when technology doesn’t cooperate and do what it’s supposed to do.
But, I did manage to set up my newsletter (again) this week. It’s scheduled to go out September 7, and will run every other Saturday from there.
Now if I could get my other website to cooperate, I’d be happily delivering non-romance adventure stories to you while I try to force my brain to write the two projects I started this month.
Instead, I made some new graphics, played with my craft supplies to make some new swag items…and quickly realized I need to get some different beads to make that work the way I want.
So, basically, nothing has worked the way I wanted it to today. And that’s okay. Life is chaos. Don’t ever give up. We’re in this together.
Thanks for stopping by, and as always
Happy Reading!
~MP
PS. I took that jellyfish picture myself at the Aquarium in Gatlinburg, TN!
August 24, 2024
October 25, 2024
Hey, Fans! It’s been a bit since I’ve updated, and I’m sorry for that. Between migraine attacks, my kid going back to school, and general craziness, life has been a lot lately.
But I think things are getting back on track. We had a lovely family vacation in Pigeon Forge at the beginning of this month, and since my last update, I’ve managed to complete 3 (Yes, THREE) big projects that will be coming your way soon!
I’ll give more info on two of those in December.
Right now, I have an omegaverse novella that is FREE with newsletter sign up. Forsaken Omega took me about a week from start to finish. It’s less than 13,000 words, but it’s definitely worth the read! Check it out if you’re interested.
Christmas or Knot is coming December 20, 2024, and I cannot wait for you all to dive back into The Pack Next Door’s world! There are no cameos in this one, and it is a stand alone, so you can read it even if you haven’t read the other novels in the series.
I might be working a little backwards here, but I am currently writing my January 2025 release, and it’s a little different from anything I’ve ever done.
Thanks for stopping by, and as always
Happy Reading!
~MP